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DeMers AC, Hunter JP. Dental complexity and diet in amniotes: A meta-analysis. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0292358. [PMID: 38306370 PMCID: PMC10836679 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Tooth morphology is among the most well-studied indicators of ecology. For decades, researchers have examined the gross morphology and wear patterns of teeth as indicators of diet, and recent advances in scanning and computer analysis have allowed the development of new and more quantitative measures of tooth morphology. One of the most popular of these new methods is orientation patch count (OPC). OPC, a measure of surface complexity, was originally developed to distinguish the more complex tooth crowns of herbivores from the less complex tooth crowns of faunivores. OPC and a similar method derived from it, orientation patch count rotated (OPCR), have become commonplace in analyses of both modern and fossil amniote dietary ecology. The widespread use of these techniques makes it possible to now re-assess the utility of OPC and OPCR. Here, we undertake a comprehensive review of OPC(R) and diet and perform a meta-analysis to determine the overall difference in complexity between herbivores and faunivores. We find that the relationship between faunivore and herbivore OPC or OPCR values differs substantially across studies, and although some support the initial assessment of greater complexity in herbivores, others do not. Our meta-analysis does not support an overall pattern of greater complexity in herbivores than faunivores across terrestrial amniotes. It appears that the relationship of OPC or OPCR to diet is taxon-specific and dependent on the type of faunivory of the group in question, with insectivores often having values similar to herbivores. We suggest extreme caution in comparing OPC and OPCR values across studies and offer suggestions for how OPCR can constructively be used in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anessa C DeMers
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - John P Hunter
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Newark, Ohio, United States of America
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Bañuls-Cardona S, Blasco R, Rosell J, Rufà A, Vallverdú J, Rivals F. New quantitative method for dental wear analysis of small mammals. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22231. [PMID: 36564491 PMCID: PMC9789094 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26705-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The application of dental wear study to murids has always been ruled out because of their omnivorous diet, which does not leave significant wear on the dentition. Nevertheless, in our work we select Apodemus sylvaticus (wood mouse) as the object of study for several reasons: its seasonal diet, its ability to resist the gastric juices of predators, the fact that it has not undergone major morphological changes since its appearance 3 million years ago, and its widespread distribution throughout much of Europe and part of Africa. The importance of this work lies in the modifications we make to the dental wear methodology for its application to murids. These enable us to obtain quantitative data on the entire tooth surface. The sample chosen was a total of 75 lower first molars from two different archaeological sites: Teixoneres cave and Xaragalls cave. The chronology of the samples chosen ranges from Marine Isotope Stages 5-3. The data obtained reveal that the part of the tooth that shows most wear is the distal part (entoconid). Furthermore, the results provide us with relevant information on the types of accumulations of remains in the caves (short vs. long term), as well as on the seasonality of Neanderthal occupations during the Upper Pleistocene (MIS5-3) of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Bañuls-Cardona
- grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Edifici W3, Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d’Història i Història de L’Art, Facultat de Lletres, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XDepartament de Prehistòria i Arqueologia, Universitat de València, Avd. Blasco Ibañez, 28, E-46010 València, Spain
| | - Ruth Blasco
- grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Edifici W3, Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d’Història i Història de L’Art, Facultat de Lletres, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Jordi Rosell
- grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Edifici W3, Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d’Història i Història de L’Art, Facultat de Lletres, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Anna Rufà
- grid.7157.40000 0000 9693 350XICArEHB-Interdsciplinay Center for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal ,grid.503132.60000 0004 0383 1969Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, MCC, PACEA, UMR 5199, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Josep Vallverdú
- grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Edifici W3, Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d’Història i Història de L’Art, Facultat de Lletres, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Florent Rivals
- grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Edifici W3, Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.410367.70000 0001 2284 9230Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d’Història i Història de L’Art, Facultat de Lletres, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain ,grid.425902.80000 0000 9601 989XICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
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Isarankura Na Ayudhya J, Merceron G, Wannaprasert T, Jaeger JJ, Chaimanee Y, Shoocongdej R, Suraprasit K. Dental mesowear and microwear for the dietary reconstruction of Quaternary Southeast Asian serows and gorals. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1000168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Serows and gorals (Bovidae, Caprinae) are emblematic antelopes distributed in Southeast Asia. They all are nearly threaten or vulnerable species nowadays despite having a more widespread distribution during the Pleistocene. Fossils of three native caprine species, i.e., a Sumatran serow Capricornis sumatraensis, Chinese goral Naemorhedus griseus, and Himalayan goral Naemorhedus goral, were recovered from four Pleistocene paleontological and archeological sites in Thailand, namely Pha Bong, Khok Sung, Tham Wiman Nakin, and Tham Lod Rockshelter. To investigate dietary changes of these Southeast Asian serows and gorals through the Quaternary, differences in feeding habits and habitat preferences between the Pleistocene and extant populations were examined using the hypsodonty index (HI) together with the mesowear II method and the dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA). The HI and mesowear-II results showed that Pleistocene and extant caprines were mixed feeders. For the Pleistocene caprine populations, the DMTA results suggested more browsing signals for C. sumatraensis than both Naemorhedus species that were mixed feeders similar to their extant populations. The DMTA demonstrated a considerable dietary overlap among the Pleistocene sympatric caprine populations. The dental microwear results also revealed that the extant C. sumatraensis is a leaf-dominant browser, while the extant N. griseus possibly feeds on seeds or tough food items. These data combined with previous stable carbon isotope analyses reinforce the idea that the restricted ranges of habitats for these extant serow and goral populations have possibly been driven by the Holocene climatic and environmental changes as well as the negative effects of human activities.
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Kropacheva YE, Zykov SV. An evaluation of individual seasonal changes in dental macro- and mesowear of wild-caught common vole (Microtus arvalis sensu lato) by the intravital impressions method. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00252-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Miller CV, Pittman M. The diet of early birds based on modern and fossil evidence and a new framework for its reconstruction. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2058-2112. [PMID: 34240530 PMCID: PMC8519158 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Birds are some of the most diverse organisms on Earth, with species inhabiting a wide variety of niches across every major biome. As such, birds are vital to our understanding of modern ecosystems. Unfortunately, our understanding of the evolutionary history of modern ecosystems is hampered by knowledge gaps in the origin of modern bird diversity and ecosystem ecology. A crucial part of addressing these shortcomings is improving our understanding of the earliest birds, the non-avian avialans (i.e. non-crown birds), particularly of their diet. The diet of non-avian avialans has been a matter of debate, in large part because of the ambiguous qualitative approaches that have been used to reconstruct it. Here we review methods for determining diet in modern and fossil avians (i.e. crown birds) as well as non-avian theropods, and comment on their usefulness when applied to non-avian avialans. We use this to propose a set of comparable, quantitative approaches to ascertain fossil bird diet and on this basis provide a consensus of what we currently know about fossil bird diet. While no single approach can precisely predict diet in birds, each can exclude some diets and narrow the dietary possibilities. We recommend combining (i) dental microwear, (ii) landmark-based muscular reconstruction, (iii) stable isotope geochemistry, (iv) body mass estimations, (v) traditional and/or geometric morphometric analysis, (vi) lever modelling, and (vii) finite element analysis to reconstruct fossil bird diet accurately. Our review provides specific methodologies to implement each approach and discusses complications future researchers should keep in mind. We note that current forms of assessment of dental mesowear, skull traditional morphometrics, geometric morphometrics, and certain stable isotope systems have yet to be proven effective at discerning fossil bird diet. On this basis we report the current state of knowledge of non-avian avialan diet which remains very incomplete. The ancestral dietary condition in non-avian avialans remains unclear due to scarce data and contradictory evidence in Archaeopteryx. Among early non-avian pygostylians, Confuciusornis has finite element analysis and mechanical advantage evidence pointing to herbivory, whilst Sapeornis only has mechanical advantage evidence indicating granivory, agreeing with fossilised ingested material known for this taxon. The enantiornithine ornithothoracine Shenqiornis has mechanical advantage and pedal morphometric evidence pointing to carnivory. In the hongshanornithid ornithuromorph Hongshanornis only mechanical advantage evidence indicates granivory, but this agrees with evidence of gastrolith ingestion in this taxon. Mechanical advantage and ingested fish support carnivory in the songlingornithid ornithuromorph Yanornis. Due to the sparsity of robust dietary assignments, no clear trends in non-avian avialan dietary evolution have yet emerged. Dietary diversity seems to increase through time, but this is a preservational bias associated with a predominance of data from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Lagerstätte. With this new framework and our synthesis of the current knowledge of non-avian avialan diet, we expect dietary knowledge and evolutionary trends to become much clearer in the coming years, especially as fossils from other locations and climates are found. This will allow for a deeper and more robust understanding of the role birds played in Mesozoic ecosystems and how this developed into their pivotal role in modern ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Case Vincent Miller
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Research Division for Earth and Planetary ScienceThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SARChina
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Research Division for Earth and Planetary ScienceThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SARChina
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Assessing molar wear in narrow-headed voles as a proxy for diet and habitat in a changing Arctic. Mamm Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-020-00079-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Tracing the Paleobiology of Paedotherium and Tremacyllus (Pachyrukhinae, Notoungulata), the Latest Sciuromorph South American Native Ungulates – Part I: Snout and Masticatory Apparatus. J MAMM EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-020-09516-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Abstract
Published mesowear data was reviewed from the year 2000 to November 2019 (211 publications, 707 species, 1,396 data points). Mesowear is a widely applied tooth wear technique that can be used to infer a herbivore’s diet by scoring the height and sharpness of molar tooth cusps with the naked eye. Established as a fast and efficient tool for paleodiet reconstruction, the technique has seen multiple adaptations, simplifications, and extensions since its establishment, which have become complex to follow. The present study reviews all successive changes and adaptations to the mesowear technique in detail, providing a template for the application of each technique to the research question at hand. In addition, the array of species to which mesowear has been applied, along with the equivalent recorded diets have been compiled here in a large dataset. This review provides an insight into the metrics related to mesowear publication since its establishment. The large dataset overviews whether the species to which the various techniques of mesowear are applied are extant or extinct, their phylogenetic classification, their assigned diets and diet stability between studies, as a resource for future research on the topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Ackermans
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Teaford MF, Ungar PS, Taylor AB, Ross CF, Vinyard CJ. The dental microwear of hard-object feeding in laboratory Sapajus apella and its implications for dental microwear formation. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 171:439-455. [PMID: 31922261 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study seeks to determine if (a) consumption of hard food items or a mixture of food items leads to the formation of premolar or molar microwear in laboratory capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) in one feeding session and (b) rates of microwear formation are associated with the number of food items consumed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five adult male capuchins were used in two experiments, one where they were fed unshelled Brazil nuts, and the other where they were fed a mixture of food items. Dental impressions were taken before and after each feeding session. Epoxy casts made from those impressions then were used in SEM analyses of rates of microwear formation. Upper and lower premolars and molars were analyzed. Qualitative comparisons were made and Spearman's rank-order correlations used to examine the relationship between rates of microwear formation and number of Brazil nuts consumed. RESULTS Premolars and molars generally showed new microwear in the form of pits and scratches. However, the incidence of those features was low (0-6%). Rates of microwear formation were highest during the consumption of Brazil nuts. DISCUSSION Variations in the rate of microwear formation on the premolars likely reflected patterns of ingestion whereas consistency in the rate of microwear on the molars likely reflected patterns of chewing. While dental microwear formation seemed to be correlated with the number of hard objects consumed, rates did differ between individuals. Differences in results between the two experiments demonstrate some of the limitations in our knowledge of dental microwear formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark F Teaford
- Department of Basic Science, Touro University, Vallejo, California
| | - Peter S Ungar
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
| | - Andrea B Taylor
- Department of Basic Science, Touro University, Vallejo, California
| | - Callum F Ross
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
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Stauffer JB, Clauss M, Müller DWH, Hatt JM, Ackermans NL. Testing Inner-Mesowear III on Goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) Fed Experimental Diets. ANN ZOOL FENN 2019. [DOI: 10.5735/086.056.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcus Clauss
- 2) Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Jean-Michel Hatt
- 2) Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Nicole L. Ackermans
- 2) Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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